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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24915085">Acid in the Eyes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caustic_Corgi/pseuds/Caustic_Corgi'>Caustic_Corgi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Daredevil (TV), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aftermath of Torture, Blind Matt Murdock, Bruce Banner Is a Good Bro, Clint Barton Is a Good Bro, Daredevil Meets the Avengers, Deaf Clint Barton, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Human Disaster Matt Murdock, Hurt Matt Murdock, Matt Murdock &amp; Foggy Nelson Friendship, Matt Murdock Needs a Hug, Medical Inaccuracies, Natasha Romanov Is Not A Robot, Protective Avengers, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Has A Heart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:22:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,871</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24915085</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caustic_Corgi/pseuds/Caustic_Corgi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Daredevil and the Avengers are captured and Matt is tortured in front of them in an effort to get information. Acid is poured on Matt's face, scarring him. The Avengers think that the acid blinded him and Matt isn't going to tell them different. Now Matt has to pretend that he is new to blindness and deal with the Avengers' overwhelming guilt and their gift-giving tendencies. The Avengers have even given him a smelly seeing-eye-dog! Matt just wants to be a vigilante again.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Matt Murdock &amp; Avengers Team, Matt Murdock &amp; Franklin "Foggy" Nelson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>419</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I don’t want to use the graphic violence warning because there’s only really violence in the first chapter. Just a warning that the first chapter deals with torture.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The most recent Avenger-Daredevil team up had been, to put it lightly, a full fledged disaster. The HYDRA base they were supposed to take out had had a larger force than SHIELD's intel had suggested and the base's security systems proved a challenge for even Tony to shut down. Within just a few minutes of invading the base, they had all been overwhelmed and knocked out.</p><p>Matt slowly reached consciousness, groaning as he did so. The beating from the guards had left his body extremely sore. Even though his whole body was bruised and bleeding, no one had been able to hit him it the head, which was lucky. Matt reached out with his senses. He was, along with the Avengers, stripped of all weapons and tools. They had even removed Matt's mask and Tony's suit. Based on the way Bruce and Steve's hearts were beating, they were drugged so that their strength couldn't be used to escape. Everyone was awake, although Nat and Clint were trying hiding it. </p><p>As Matt grew more aware of his surroundings he noticed that all of them were tied to chairs that all faced each other. The placement of the chairs would give all of them a full view of each other, not that that did anything for Matt. Matt internally groaned, the chair arrangement probably meant that their HYDRA enemies would use the threat of torture to get whatever information they wanted.</p><p>A man walked into the room. He wasn't a guard, he walked with a sense of importance and pride. He was probably the leader of this particular HYDRA base.</p><p>"Hello all! I hope you're all comfortable. I was quite impressed by your attempt today and applaud your efforts. Now then I'm sure you guys want to go home and I'm sure we can reach an agreement to help make that happen," he declared, his tone arrogant and pompous.</p><p>"Whatever you want, you're not getting it!" growled Clint.</p><p>"Maybe. Maybe not." Leader-man was very confident. "Captain, do you have an idea as to what I want? Guess. There's no penalty for wrong answers."</p><p>"Super soldier serum." Steve sounded pissed. He was probably glaring a hole into every guard in the room.</p><p>"Got it in one!" Leader-man, let's call him George, clapped his hands together happily.</p><p>"You know that I can't give you that information," Steve snapped.</p><p>"You can, you just don't want to. I think I can remedy that though." George walked over to Tony and pulled out a knife.</p><p>"Don't you do anything to him! You'll regret it if you do!" Steve's shout was both worry filled and threatening.</p><p>Tony sounded bored. "I doubt you can do anything that beats first time I was kidnapped. No one has."</p><p>"We'll see."</p><p>The smell of blood filled the room, but no sounds escaped Tony besides him telling Steve to stop looking so guilty and the occasional snarky remarks he made. "Oh! Come on! Grow a pair, you can do better than that!" and "You're nicer than my grandma!" were just two of the many childish insults Tony distributed.</p><p>After a while, when it was evident that neither Tony or Steve would make a sound, he moved to Clint. Clint was just as unreceptive to George's treatment. Halfway through George's attack on Clint, another important man entered the room. </p><p>This man was frustrated. He kept shouting suggestions and berating George on his lack of progress. "Move to the red one! Hawkeye is a spy, he will give you nothing!" he called eventually, his voice thick with a foreign accent.</p><p>George walked over to Matt and threw a sharp punch. The blow was painful and knocked air out of his lungs, but Matt did not sway. He showed no visible signs that the punch affected him at all. George threw another hit, and another, and another, until the abuse almost seemed mundane.</p><p>"Stop it." The man barked. George hesitated and turned around "If you want something done right you have to do it yourself, the man muttered. "I'm taking over."</p><p>Matt could hear Bruce gulp nervously. This man certainly gave off an aura that was more threatening and his appearance probably amplified that.</p><p>"He needs to be more secure. All of them do. Captain America here has almost worn through his ropes. Make their restraints tighter," the man ordered. The guard sprung into action, binding their prisoners with a combination of tight ropes, chains, and tape. During this time, Nat was able to send a well placed and powerful kick to one of the guards' gut, but escape was still impossible.</p><p>Matt struggled in his seat but it did no good. He could hear the man walk away to the far corner of the room they were in and grab a few different things from a table. Matt couldn't tell what the objects were, but based on the heartbeats of everyone else, it was bad.</p><p>"Are you sure you don't have anything to say Captain?" he asked darkly.</p><p>Steve swallowed and answered in a shaky voice. "You don't have to use that."</p><p>The man laughed. "I know I don't and you didn't answer my question." He grabbed Matt's head by the hair and jerked it back.</p><p>Matt could smell what he was holding now, some kind of chemical, not dissimilar to the one that was in that truck all of those years ago. Matt took a deep breath and scrunched up his face, trying to protect the only part of him he actually was able to move.</p><p>Steve's heart was a flurry of motion and dread. "I-I'm sorry Daredevil."</p><p>"Aww that's just too bad." The man let go of Matt's hair and ripped the sleeve off of Matt's right arm. "If you really want to do this to your friend I'm happy to oblige. Do you know what this will go to your friend's skin?"</p><p>Steve gave no answer besides his audible struggling.</p><p>"Hold him still," the man ordered. Hands held Matt down and fought against Matt's attempts at movement.</p><p>"You can still stop this," the man reminded Steve. "No? Then this is all your fault, your doing." The man grabbed Matt's arm roughly.</p><p>At the first minuscule drop, a world of pain exploded in Matt's mind. He tried to not show weakness, but his efforts did not amount to much. After a few drops, screams and shrieks erupted from his throat and the taste of blood from a bit tongue filled his mouth. Through the fog that was pain, Matt could hear the Avengers calling for it to end. Relief finally came when the pouring of the acid finally stopped.</p><p>"Have you changed your mind Captain?" came the question.</p><p>Steve didn't say anything, he kept his jaw clenched tightly shut. He was probably giving a glare to end all glares. It also sounded like he was on the edge of guilty tears. Matt knew that Steve could tough anything out, anything except seeing other people get hurt and right now it was either watch Matt get hurt or watch the world suffer.</p><p>"Are you sure?" The man grabbed Matt's head again, this time forcing Matt's eyes open with his grubby, nasty fingers. The man titled the glass in a playful and sadistic manner.</p><p>"I'm so sorry," came Steve's reply, his voice thick with emotion.</p><p>'At least it's not the ears. This'll really hurt, but it won't cause lasting damage that will actually affect me badly,' Matt thought once his current situation dawned on him.</p><p>Yells of "No! Stop!" could be heard, but it was too late.</p><p>As the acid fell in his face and into his already unseeing eyes, Matt felt pain like he had never felt before. He gave a heart wrenching scream and renewed his frantic struggles. The pain just kept coming and coming and Matt just kept screaming and screaming, well past the point where the glass had been emptied.</p><p>His skin was on fire. Matt could feel it disintegrate on his cheeks. His eyes felt like they were boiling from the inside, Matt could feel his blood and aqueous humor run down his face. Matt hunched over and tried to use his shoulder to wipe the chemicals from his face, but his efforts were in vain. The feeling of fire did not dissipate. </p><p>Distantly, in the far recesses if his mind, beyond the pain, Matt registered the sounds of battle, of rescue. The calvary had arrived.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for all the comments! </p><p>Also don’t read too much into the medical side of this story. I try to explain it the best I can, but I really don’t know what I’m talking about. Let’s just pretend Matt’s miraculous recovery makes sense.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Matt woke up, he was lying on something soft, which was a pleasant change. While the mattress of the bed was nice and comforting, what Matt heard wasn't. What he heard was very little, just the rustle of sheets and a few urgent sounding footsteps. The concerning part was that Matt couldn't reach out with his senses to get a better sense of where he was. At the idea that the acid that had been used to torture him may have caused him to become partially deaf, Matt's breathing increased into a full blown panic attack.</p><p>The sound of a tray clattering to the ground sounded far far away. "Oh Crap! D, I need you to breathe. Come on, slow it down," said Tony, who Matt could barley hear.</p><p>"I can't-I can't—" Matt cried, his throat raw. Matt brought his left hand to his burnt face. (His right arm was bandaged and it hurt to move it much) Instead of skin, gauze met his fingers' touch. </p><p>"I know. I know. It's going to be alright, I just need you to breathe," said Tony soothingly, moving Matt's hand away.</p><p>Matt slowly calmed down his breathing, focusing on the sheets that were clasped tightly in his right hand and using their presence as an anchor, grounding him. Once again, he brought his left hand to his face. His traveling fingers left the gauze that covered his cheeks and searched until they found the comforting touch of an intact ear. Sighing with relief, Matt let his hand drop into his lap.</p><p>"That's it. I know you're freaking out right now, but we're here to help you," said Tony, putting a comforting hand on Matt's shoulder.</p><p>"Jarvis, please tell Jolly Green that Daredevil is awake and to get down here."</p><p>"Of course," came the reply that didn't belong to any physical person. Matt jumped in surprise at the new voice.</p><p>Tony gave a hollow laugh. "Oh Jarvis is just my AI."</p><p>"What's wrong with me?" Matt asked.</p><p>Tony gave no answer.</p><p>A few minutes later, Matt could hear several people walk into the room. His hearing had improved and Matt attributed his temporary partial deafness to drugs that had already worked their way through his system. Now able to pick apart separate heartbeats, Matt distinguished the figures of Bruce, Steve, Clint, and Nat.</p><p>An apprehensive atmosphere filled the air as Bruce checked under the gauze and bandages. Matt hissed when the air touched his chemical burns. "Ahh, ow!"</p><p>"Sorry. They look better than they did yesterday," Bruce said.</p><p>"How long was I out doc," Matt asked with a small, fake smile. His voice was still shaky from his recent panic attack.</p><p>"Just about five days, way sooner than I expected," Bruce answered. "You're doing quite well considering all of your injuries."</p><p>"What's the damage?"</p><p>"Are you sure you want to know right now?" Bruce sounded reluctant.</p><p>"Yes." Matt's body was in great pain, but it seemed that a multitude of drugs had caused certain areas of Matt's skin to grow numb.</p><p>Bruce took a long pause and took a deep breath before saying, "It was touch and go for a while, but Tony was able to call in some specialists. I have no clue how you're conscious and lucid right now. Your right arm is badly burned, but it'll heal with minimal scarring. Just don't pick or scratch at it. You have a lot of bruises and lacerations, but no broken bones. And, well... your face..." Bruce trailed off, not wanting to finish his sentence.</p><p>"Looks like a pile of shit," Matt filled in.</p><p>Bruce played with his hands, showing his discomfort with the situation. "Well, if you want to put it that way, yes. He dumped all of the acid on it. It'll heal... eventually. There will still be scarring though. The fact that it didn't go down your throat was a godsend."</p><p>"And my eyes? How are they?" Matt was curious as to whether the Avengers had learned that he was already blind or whether they assumed that this most recent chemical-incident had rendered his eyes useless.</p><p>The room grew quiet and the body language of the Avengers informed Matt that they believed the latter. "Nothing at all?" Matt asked cautiously, mentally planning how he should conduct himself in his current predicament. </p><p>'How would a blind vigilante-one who has never been blind before-act?' Matt thought to himself as he waited for an answer to his most recent question. The silence droned on and Matt decided that the 'I'm fine' approach would be best; it would be a pain to have to act heartbroken and traumatized. He'd already gotten over his trauma and it'd hurt to try to go backwards in his progress. He would still have to act as if he was new to braille, walking with a cane, and other aspects of life associated with lack of vision though. 'I'll just pretend to be a really fast learner,' Matt decided.</p><p>Breaking the silence, Steve spoke, "You're completely blind. I'm sorry. They're gone. Nothing's left." His voice was thick with emotion, namely guilt.</p><p>"I guess that's it then," said Matt, dejected. Matt did feel bad, just not for the reasons the Avengers team would assume. Now his greatest secret was out.</p><p>Matt's reaction caused Tony to ramble on about not losing hope and about how he had already started working on inventions that would be so great that he'd forget the pros of being able to see in the first place.</p><p>During Tony's speech, an alarming question entered Matt's mind. "How do I explain my face to people in my normal life? To people who don't know that I'm Daredevil?" he asked worriedly.</p><p>There was a thought-filled pause. "We didn't look into your identity, figured that you'd like some anonymity, but I'm sure Stark can arrange some sort of accident to use as an excuse," said Nat after a while.</p><p>"I can totally do that! I don't even have to know who you are to do it if you want," said Tony, excited to be able to give aid to his hospitalized friend.</p><p>"I'd like that," said Matt, his voice slightly somber and slightly indifferent. Foggy would kill him when he saw his face even if he did have an accident to explain it. Foggy didn't know about his nighttime crime fighting activities, but he was always concerned that Matt was somehow in danger. He freaked out enough when Matt came the the office with a split lip, once he saw what happened to Matt he'd probably go on a rampage.</p><p>"I'm on it. I'll just set it up and then tell you where be and when. I can have everything ready in two days if I start now," said Tony, excusing himself to get right down to work.</p><p>Touching his bandaged face and keeping his tone a little bit sad Matt asked, "So what do I do now?" Now it was time to be an actor.</p><p>"Well you'll go through rehab. You'll learn how to get around, read braille, and a lot of other things. It'll be hard, but you're strong and you'll always have us when you need it," said Clint. "I went deaf several years ago and had to learn sign language. I know going partially deaf and going completely blind are different, but I might have a better understanding of what you're going through than other people. Anything you need, just ask me."</p><p>"Thanks. I guess this means no more Daredevil, right?" Matt was curious if they'd willingly let him continue with his being a vigilante now that they knew he was blind, especially since they didn't know about his enhanced senses.</p><p>"Well... I never say never, but I highly doubt it. Don't worry though, we'll take care of Hell's Kitchen and there are plenty of other ways you can help out. You could gather vital information for example. We won't leave you on the sidelines," said Bruce.</p><p>"Could-could I talk to you for a second D? Alone?" Steve asked nervously.</p><p>"Sure."</p><p>The rest of the Avengers left the room and Steve sat down on a nearby chair and put his head in his hands.</p><p>After just a few moments of being alone, Steve broke down. "I'm so sorry, so so sorry. This-this is all my fault. Everyone got tortured because of me and now... now you can't see. Oh my God, I did this to you, I—"</p><p>Not commenting on his friend's blasphemy, Matt cut into Steve's self deprecating rant. "No you didn't. This is just part of the job. Things happen. I signed up for this. Besides, I like this end result much better than the one where you give the bad guys the secret to the super soldier serum."</p><p>"I still knowingly made the choice. He stood over you with that glass and asked me if I would condemn you to suffer its effects. I said yes. I did this to you. I should have at least come up with fake secrets that would have bought us some time until help arrived."</p><p>"Maybe, but I don't think that would've done anything. HYDRA would have hurt us anyway even if you told them everything. If you told them anything then they'd probably have killed us because then we'd be useless to them! This is in no way your fault. How is everyone else doing anyway? They didn't have it easy either."</p><p>Steve sighed. "They're pretty messed up too, but nothing like what happened to you. They'll heal quickly. They're mostly just pissed; gave those HYDRA agents a beating to remember. We're more worried about you though."</p><p>"I'm fine, I'll be fine. I can deal." Beside being burned, Matt really was fine. The Avengers just didn't have to know that. Yes, it was cruel, but Matt couldn't let people learn about his secret super-senses. It hurt to hear Steve feel so guilty, but it was the only way. If it got out that Daredevil was blind then people would know how to take advantage of that and then he wouldn't be able to protect the people of Hell's Kitchen.</p><p>Steve made an exasperated sigh. "Don't give me that crap. We both know you're not fine. Don't pretend. This is really traumatic and life changing, don't try to get through it alone. It's alright to be vulnerable."</p><p>"I know, but really I'll be fine."</p><p>"I know you'll be fine eventually, but you're not, not now! You can get through anything. But, in the meantime, just let us help."</p><p>"I don't need it."</p><p>Steve just sighed. Seeing that his wounded friend wouldn't budge, he changed the subject. "How do you feel? Physically? It's obvious that you're hurt, so be honest."</p><p>"Most of my body feels like how it would feel after a kinda bad patrol, not too bad though. Honest. The burns really hurt though, or at least certain areas do. The burns are kind of confusing. Some parts feel numb, but I'm not sure if that's because of whatever medicine you guys gave me. Other parts feel like they're like hot. It feels like blisters, which there probably are. It doesn't really hurt if I stay still though."</p><p>"Thank you for telling me. The fact that you even admitted that anything hurts means a lot. It's just...It's just that this is just so sudden and life changing for you. This is going to impact you for the rest of your life and I don't want you to power through it alone. Tell me how you are feeling emotionally! Please! Nothing you could say could make me think less of you," cried Steve. His voice betrayed the immense guilt that he felt and the urge he felt to do everything in his power to make things right.</p><p>"There is really nothing to say," said Matt, internally wincing at his friend's emotional state which was completely avoidable. "Things are just surreal. I feel like if I took of these stupid bandages off then everything would be normal and nothing would be different than how thing were last week." This part was not lie, things did feel surreal to Matt.</p><p>It was silent for a long time after Matt spoke. Matt didn't know what to say and Steve was lost in his thoughts and memories of past times.</p><p>"Damn it!" Steve yelled as he lost his self-control and punched through a wall. "Damn it all! Every time! Everyone I touch gets hurt! First Bucky, now you! Damn it!"</p><p>Matt did nothing to stop his friend, he just sat with the knowledge that his guilt was greater than even Steve's.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Please comment!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the wait! Thanks for being patient!</p><p>Please don’t really think about the medical accuracy or timeline! I don’t know about anything that I’m writing about, but I’m trying.</p><p>Please enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Matt laid in his bed feeling of rays of sunshine warming his face. Whatever wonderful adventures he was having in the world of daydreams was interrupted by the ringing of a timer. Stretching, Matt sat up straight. It was time for lunch. The lack of audible heartbeats and the fuzziness in his head informed Matt that he was still heavily drugged. There wasn't really a logical reason for why Matt wouldn't be on pain killers and antibiotics, but he was always surprised by the lack of clarity they gave him. Staying in the Avengers Tower gave him access to top notch medical care but that didn't mean there weren't side effects that came with said top notch medical care. </p><p>Matt had only been staying at the Avengers Tower for about a week, but it seemed like way longer. Having to deal with the pity that came with the lie he was living was exhausting. It was already tiring enough having to deal with the awful burns that covered his arm and face. Getting used to waking up every day to a body covered with painful scars would take time and Matt was not looking forward to getting back into daredeviling shape.</p><p>Taking a deep breath, Matt started to meditate and tried to hone in on the people around him. It took a minute, but he was finally able to hear the light footsteps of Nat walking towards his room. She was probably bringing him soup along with a side dish of a poorly worded motivational speech. Nat was a prodigy in pretty much every field, but she wasn't the best at giving encouragement.</p><p>As Nat walked closer, Matt was able to pick upon the smells of the food she was carrying. It was chicken soup again. Next to the bowl was a glass of water that had some sort of dissolved medicine in it.</p><p>"How are you feeling today?" she asked</p><p>"Feeling alright. Burns are a pain, but it's fine," Matt answered, feeling out where his spoon was. "I was just meditating. What are you up to today?"</p><p>"Well... We're going on a mission later today," Nat said hesitantly, her voice a little sad.</p><p>"Sounds fun. You know you don't have to tiptoe around me, I'm not going to throw a fit because I can't go on missions," joked Matt after a moment.</p><p>He can hear her walk around the room and stop in front of the window.  Propping herself up on the windowsill, Nat started to look through Matt's medical file. "We're having some really great weather. Do you want to go outside after lunch?"</p><p>"I don't know." Going on a walk didn't sound too appealing to Matt at the moment, he just wasn't in the mood.</p><p>Nat seemed to think that Matt had a different reason for not wanting to go out. "D...," she sighed. "I know everything is really weird right now and going out without being able to see is scary, but you have to start at some point. You're really independent and strong, but it's okay to need help. You should need help."</p><p>Matt felt like pulling his hair out. "I'm fine. I appreciate your concern, but I can manage on my own. I just don't feel like going out right now. Maybe later, once my burns feel better, but not right now."</p><p>"Alright, that's fine. What did you think about the fancy interactive braille tool that Tony made? Does it make learning easier?"</p><p>Matt smiled. He didn't need to learn how to read braille, but he was really touched by the effort that the Avengers had to help his fake transition. Tony had made several awesome inventions that would have been a lifesaver to little Matt Murdock. Remembering that he now had to play a part in this lie he was now living, Matt thought back to his childhood experience. "Yeah, it's great. Thank Tony for me. I really appreciate it. Right now I'm just trying think about learning braille like I would if I was learning any other language for fun. There's definitely more pressure though, because unlike when I'm learning another language, I can't just revert back to what I'm used to. I can't just decide that I don't want to do it anymore."</p><p>"I'm sorry," said Nat filling the awkward silence.</p><p>"There's no need to be sorry," Matt comforted.</p><p>"Yes there is."</p><p>"How is the HYDRA thing going?" asked Matt, changing the subject. "Any progress?"</p><p>"We have everyone from the base in custody," said Nat, her voice turning hard and cold. "We have more information than we ever thought we would find."</p><p>"So things are great," Matt filled in.</p><p>"We didn't find anyway to bring your sight back," cut in Nat.</p><p>Matt chuckled. "I wasn't expecting you guys to."</p><p>Nat didn't answer, so Matt continued to push conversation. "Tell me about what you guys found, I want to know."</p><p>Reporting on missions, that Nat could do. She talked for a long time. She talked about how they found locations of more bases and about all of the weapons they discovered. She talked in great detail about how much the HYDRA prisoners were happy to be able to return to their families. Matt asked a lot of questions and all in all, they were able to keep up a comfortable conversation.</p><p>After a while, Nat stood up to leave. "I'm going to go now. Call if you need anything. Ok?"</p><p>"You got it."<br/>
________<br/>
Over in the lab, Tony and Steve we're taking about how they were going to explain what happened to Daredevil's civilian identity without anyone, including the Avengers, finding out that he was a vigilante.</p><p>"Ok, regardless of how we decide to go about this, I'm going to have Jarvis filter out anything about D that might end up on the news. Like if a news show talks about a guy who was scarred and blinded we wouldn't see it," said Tony.</p><p>"Good. The least we can do is let him keep his privacy," said Steve glumly.</p><p>Tony smacked Steve playfully on the shoulder. "Stop sulking! We can't change the past. If you want to help him then help me. Come on, gimme some suggestions."</p><p>"Ugh! I hate this, but you're right. It's just that all of this happened under my leadership. And yes, Tony, my leadership. It's all on me." Steve's sighed deeply. "Let's get this over with so D can go back to Hell's Kitchen."</p><p>"That's the spirit!"</p><p>"Yeah, whatever. D's injuries are really bad, but they aren't fresh anymore so we can't set it up like he just got hurt and was sent to a hospital. It's obvious he's been given treatment too. What if we said that we found him hurt and gave him treatment?" suggested Steve.</p><p>Tony shook his head. "No, it's too obvious and we'd have to learn his identity for press purposes if we did that. We could frame one of the HYDRA guys. Make D a victim of a acid attack while he was just out in the street. How about that?"</p><p>"Definitely not, way too big. That would get the country's attention, maybe other countries' as well."</p><p>"Yeah, you're right. We need something that won't attract too much media attention and won't attract suspicion."</p><p>"Kidnapping?"</p><p>"Nah."</p><p>"Safety violation gone horribly wrong?"</p><p>"Maybe."</p><p>"Car accident?"</p><p>"We'd need a driver to blame and using HYDRA people isn't a good idea. How about a fire?"</p><p>"It needs to have something to do with chemical burns."</p><p>"Ooh! How about..."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Any suggestions for what the cover story should be?</p><p>Thanks for reading! What do you think? Please comment!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I really just need to get this chapter over with, it’s been way too long. Hope you like it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Foggy got the call it was the beginning of a normal, long afternoon. He had just bought a bag of bagels and was heading back to the office. Matt hadn't shown up to work that day and Foggy was deep in thought, thinking about how he was going to get back at Matt for sleeping in on a day where they were supposed to meet with an extremely important client. </p><p>A while ago, they both had decided to give themselves, and Karen, a three week break. Three weeks is a long time for a break, but business was going really really well and everyone agreed that they all deserved some time off. There were less important legal cases going on anyway. Karen had gone to visit some friends from college, Foggy had also gone out of town on a trip to visit family, and Matt had just stayed in Hell's Kitchen. Because Matt has decided to not go anywhere, Foggy decided that there was no reason why Matt shouldn't be able to get to work so revenge pranks would definitely be in Matt's future. Maybe Foggy would mess with the office layout or attempt baking again and make Matt eat it, who knows.</p><p>Foggy had just rounded a corner when he heard his phone ring. He picked it up instinctually and answered it without glancing at the caller ID. Matt had a weird habit of collecting burner phones and had called him from random numbers several times. Foggy was met by the voice of a business-like sounding woman.</p><p>"Hello, is this Franklin Nelson?" she asked.</p><p>"Yep, that's me, part of the Nelson and Murdock duo. What's up? Do you need a lawyer?" Matt would probably lecture him later about talking so unprofessionally to a potential client.</p><p>"Umm, no. Mr. Nelson. That's not why I'm here. You are listed here as the emergency contact for a Matthew Murdock."</p><p>Foggy's happy mood vanished in a flash and was immediately replaced with anxiety and fear. "Yes. I am. Did something happen to Matt?! Is he okay?!"</p><p>"He is currently in the hospital. He has been involved in an accident—"</p><p>Foggy did not hear the rest of what the lady over the phone said, he was too busy rushing over to the hospital. Foggy reached his destination in record time, only pausing once to apologize profusely to a woman he knocked to the ground on the hospital steps. Once in the hospital, Foggy made a beeline over to the main desk where he was directed to go to a separate wing of the hospital where a doctor would be waiting for him.  </p><p>The doctor had a sharp face that was only slightly soften by an attempt to appear reassuring. "You must be Mr. Nelson. You're friend, Mr. Murdock, was found and brought here after what looks like a cooking accident of some sort, we aren't quite sure yet. He can't currently consent to the operation, but we would like to perform—"</p><p>"Do it. Whatever you think he needs, do it. I'll sign any necessary paperwork."<br/>_____</p><p>Foggy had no idea how long he'd been waiting for, but it had been long enough for him to count all of the floor tiles. It was all he could do beside worry himself sick. He didn't want to call Karen, which would be the right thing to do, but Foggy just wanted to worry by himself. Voicing the fact that Matt, his best friend ever, was in the hospital, getting surgery, was no something Foggy wanted to do. So he didn't. She'd be pissed at him, but that was a problem for future Foggy.</p><p>Seeing what information he could possibly find, Foggy had called Matt's landlord a while ago only to learn that Matt hadn't been spotted in some time and that the man had assumed that Matt had gone on a trip with Foggy. This had caused Foggy's fears to grow exponentially. Had Matt been missing? Had he been kidnapped? Maybe some angry opponent from court had showed up at Matt's place. Where had he been? Did one of the people who tried to frame Karen go after Matt? The possibilities were endless.</p><p>Speaking of Karen, a very similar looking nurse was walking right towards him. Foggy tugged nervously at his shirt and felt his blood pressure go up. The nurse gave him a sympathetic smile, which only made things worse.</p><p>"Are you here for a Mr. Mathew Murdock?" she asked in a annoyingly sweet tone.</p><p>"Yes! How is he doing?"</p><p>"Much better. Please come this way. You can see him now, not for very long though. There are still a few exams and tests for us to perform, you'll have to leave for those."</p><p>"Of course."</p><p>The nurse led Foggy to the room where Matt was, but was stopped from going inside by the doctor he had seen earlier.</p><p>"Excuse me Mr. Nelson, I have a few questions for you before you can visit your friend," the doctor said.</p><p>"Is something wrong?" Foggy asked in a very panicked, very exhausted voice. </p><p>"Do you know what you're friend was doing? Where he was? Who he was with?" asked the doctor suspiciously, ignoring Foggy's question.</p><p>"Uhh... No. We've both been on a break from work. I've been out of town. His landlord said that Matt hadn’t been to his apartment in a while though," Foggy answered slowly. Something was definitely odd.</p><p>"Alright. I just had to ask. You see, we're not quite sure what happened to your friend. Maybe he'll give us some answers when he wakes up. Have you been informed of his situation?"</p><p>"No...?" Now Foggy really was freaking out.</p><p>The doctor gave a great big sigh. "Mr. Murdock is suffering from several wounds all over his body as well as some dangerous burns on his face and arm. The burns look as though they came from some chemical, I'm not sure which though. The caller said that he was involved in some cooking accident, even though the burns don’t match that story. We will go though some tests to find out what happened though. Chances are someone was cooking with chemicals that aren’t meant to be used in cooking and Mr. Murdock happened to be there. I'm sorry to say that there will be scarring. If he wasn’t blind before, he definitely is be now. With the right treatment, Mr. Murdock’s skin will heal over and he won’t feel pain from his burns. Stay rest assured that he is receiving the best possible care.”</p><p>Foggy was not rest assured, he was just dizzy.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I can’t wait to get to the silly parts of the story.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>How was that? Please comment!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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